CONCERT | IN THE ABSENCE OF… BRUCKNER | THE SPRING STRING QUARTET & OHAD TALMOR
In the third concert of the ‘In the Absence of…’ series, the Austrian Spring String Quartet, dubbed the “Hell’s Angels of Virtuosity,” collaborate with New York-based saxophonist, composer, and arranger Ohad Talmor in a radical re-writing of Austrian composer Anton Bruckner’s 8th Symphony. Together, they form the ensemble Mass Transformation.
Mass Transformation are:
Spring String Quartet:
Christian Wirth, violin
Marcus Wall, violin
Julian Gillesberger, viola
Stephan Punderlitschek, violoncello
&
Ohad Talmor – tenor saxophone, laptop, composition/arrangement
Shane Endsley – trumpet
Pete McCann – guitar
Matt Pavolka – contrabass, e-bass
Mark Ferber – drums/percussion
Bruckner’s VIII
The sheer emotional impact of Bruckner’s longest symphony is at times overwhelming. This, coupled with the fact that it is one of the seminal orchestral compositions of the late 19th century, makes it a daunting task for anyone to attempt to make it his own; whether conducting it, or—as is the case with “Mass Transformation” —to radically transform it into an overhauled and refreshed rearrangement of the initial text.
Under the Direction of Ohad Talmor, “Mass Transformation” came together in 2008 and features some of the most prominent creative Jazz performers from New York with one of Europe’s leading Contemporary String Quartets. The ensemble is able to navigate seamlessly between genres and feels no stylistic boundaries. Merging sophisticated writing and open ended improvisation under one roof, Mass Transformation is a beacon of where music is headed in the future.
“As was the case for “Mass Transformation”, the first and successful project based on Bruckner’s Mass in F minor, I decided with the 8th Symphony to completely explode the original material, then to lay it flat and eventually put it all back together my own way. Yet, within this process, I have tried to stay true to Anton Bruckner’s original spirit as well as to his undying and most courageous “spirit of originality”, something which I value even more, now that I have been working on his music for the past 10 years and knowing the challenges he was faced with in his time.” – Ohad Talmor
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
For fifteen years the four gentlemen of the Upper Austrian Spring String Quartet (photo by Karin Lohberger) have been performing together in various concert halls in Austria, Europe, and the United States. In the process, they have dismantled a number of clichés about string music and redefined the artistic forms of expression of the classic string quartet.
Several CDs illustrate the productivity of this ensemble. Ever since the cooperation with the American jazz legend Lee Konitz, the Spring String Quartet ranks among the leading jazz-rock-classical-crossover string quartets of Europe. One of the career highlights was their debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 2007.
Since 2009, the so-called “Hells Angels of Virtuosity” have performed regularly with German singer-songwriter Konstantin Wecker (in Munich, Vienna, Berlin, among other places). And since 2012 they have also been performing with the Mozambiquian superstar vocalist Stewart Sukuma. The ensemble has also collaborated frequently with Israeli-American composer and tenor saxophonist Ohad Talmor and other musicians from the New York jazz scene.
More information >> ssq.at
Ohad Talmor is a New York-based Saxophonist, Composer and Arranger who is originally from Israel and grew up in Switzerland. He plays regularly with his own project: NEWSREEL – a flexible group mirroring his multi-faceted musical identity and which features some of New York’s most creative musicians: Dan Weiss, Jacob Sacks, Miles Okazaki, Shane Endsley, and Matt Pavolka. Talmor’s other projects include the Steve Swallow Trio (featuring Adam Nussbaum) and Mass Transformation.
As a Composer and Arranger, Talmor is equally involved in writing for jazz and classical idioms. His music has been performed by various Jazz ensembles all over the world, including: Portugal’s OJM Big Band, Switzerland’s Big Band de Lausanne, Brazil’s SoundScape Orquestra, the Brecker Brothers, Steve Swallow 6tet “L’histoire du Clochard” or Belgium’s Bruxelles Jazz Orchestra.
Ohad Talmor holds a Composition Degree from the Manhattan School of Music.
More information >> ohadtalmor.com
ABOUT THE SERIES
The series In the Absence of… creates a framework in which creative musicians conceptualize and perform a program focused on a particular canonic composer, however none of this composer’s music will be heard. This is the challenge: how to evoke presence in absence? The series also explores tradition through contemporary ears and will present Austrian musicians, music of contemporary Austrian composers performed by American ensembles, and portraits of canonic Austrian composers.
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